Leader calls for ‘antisemitic’ comments councillor to consider future

Long-serving Liberal Democrat councillor and former mayor of Harrogate has been suspended by her national party over a series of “antisemitic” comments about the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

Shortly after learning of Councillor Pat Marsh’s comments on Twitter in which she described Jews as “vile”, “evil” and “a disgrace to the world”, the national party said it had also launched an investigation into the remarks, while North Yorkshire Council’s Liberal Democrats immediately suspended her from the group.

A spokesperson for the national Liberal Democrat Party said: “These appalling antisemitic views have no place in our party. Ms Marsh has been removed from the council group and has been reported to the council’s standards officer.”

Councillor Carl Les, leader of the authority’s Conservative group, said Councillor Pat Marsh had been a senior member of the Liberal Democrats group until the comments came to light, rather than a novice councillor who had made a mistake.

Coun Les said: “I think the tweets she has made may be criminal, that’s for others to investigate and decide. I would think she should consider her position. The comments I have seen are outrageous and offensive.

“I understand a number of complaints have been made to the monitoring officer. I don’t follow Pat Marsh’s Twitter account so I haven’t seen these before, but I understand there is a number of them.”

Coun Les, who has led the authority since 2015, has previously underlined he understands prejudice having grown up as the son of a refugee from Poland and wants North Yorkshire to be a multi-cultural and a welcoming place for all.

He said: “There is no place in our society, in our county or in our council for discrimination, prejudice or hate in any form.”

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